Never Truly His
by Stormyskies89
Summary: Sometimes being loved like one of his own is never enough and sometimes it just takes a few words from your cousin to know that it is always going to be enough. (Includes canon character death)


**Title:** Never Truly His

**Summary:** When Karla, Daughter of Frerin, is forbidden from the Quest of Erebor, she follows under her own steam and finds that maybe even though you're related you can never truly be someone's little girl.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own The Hobbit. Never have.

**A/N:** NO FLAMES! Not accepted.

**2****nd**** A/N:** This isn't incest it is merely family fluff. I can't write incest.

* * *

"Uncle! Uncle! Tell us a story! Please Uncle please!" Karla tugged on her Uncle Thorin's sleeve after they finished dinner one night and Fíli and Kíli nodded along with their cousin as she begged. Thorin chanced a glance at Dis and his sister gave him an amused smile.

"You started it Thorin." She reminded him, "I told you, once you start they won't let you stop." She shook her head and turned back to the sink to wash the dishes. Karla tugged harder on her Uncle's sleeve.

"Come on Uncle Thorin! Tell us the one about the dragon!" Karla begged, her cousins instantly agreed with her.

Both at once they cheered, "Yes Uncle Thorin please! The one about Erebor and the Dragon!" So Thorin proceeds to tell them all about Erebor and the Dragon Smaug. Fíli and Kíli lying on their stomachs in front of the fire and Karla in his lap curled in close to his chest. He can't believe how fast they are growing up and he'll never get over how much Karla looks like her father.

Everyone thought it was Immaculate Conception. But Thorin knew. Thorin knew that his brother had laid with his true love and Karla was the result. Everyone thought her to be Thorin's. Or at the very least she was Kíli's twin sister. They were the same age born just days apart. Thorin had let his people think that Karla was Dis' daughter. She had the very same hair colour as Fíli, only Fíli and Kíli, Dis, Thorin and her husband had really known the truth. As Frerin had passed before Karla was born and her mother had passed during child birth – Karla was the only orphan dwarf who had family to take her in. Thorin watched her now as he put her into her bed next to Kíli, the pair were so small they shared a bed and often ended up curled together by morning. The trio slept in the same room but Fíli had his own bed. Thorin smiled softly as he stepped out and closed the door. They all looked so terribly small and fragile when they slept. Nothing could touch them. They were safe and well loved.

* * *

Years passed and the trio grew up and Karla was given her own room when Kíli and her grew too old the share a room now, Kíli and Fíli still shared a room but only because they were both male. It was improper for a female to share a room with a male unless they were betrothed or married. And since Kíli and Karla were neither it was unheard of. Karla grew into a beautiful young dwarf and Fíli and Kíli were the ones to fend off any unwanted attention. She got quite a lot of it too. As she was the same age as Kíli she was offered the chance to learn a weapon the same time he was. She was much more of a fighter than a lady anyway. She stood beside her cousin in the armoury looking at all the swords, the daggers, hunting knives, and on the odd occasion a bow and quiver. She eyed the quiver of arrow with fascination. Kíli picked the bow and arrows and Karla felt she had to pick something else. But then Thorin had probably expected Kíli to pick up a sword as well. She pointed to the other bow and quiver of arrows.

"You want to be an archer as well?" Thorin asked, Karla nodded. She had gone from being a chatterbox when she was little to now hardly speaking unless she needed to. Mostly she got her point across with pointing and nodding or shaking her head. Karla turned out to be nowhere the natural that Kíli was with a bow, but she was reasonable. When she trained with her cousin's after that, the other dwarves that trained mostly with Dwalin and Balin – and occasionally with Thorin, watched with awed interest as Karla steadily got better, never quite hitting the very centre of the bullseye and near enough to be a good shot.

"You've gotten better, Cousin." Kíli said one day as they collected their arrows.

"I have a good teacher." Karla replied, indeed as she and Kíli trained, Kíli offered advice to improve her shots. He even helped her if her stance was off. Most of the time this drew hisses from the other male Dwarves who just liked to watch her. Fíli though could see the way they looked at his cousin and he didn't like it and made it his mission every time he faced one to beat them…and he did.

"I know what you're doing." Karla said to Fíli when he put his sword away.

"What do you mean, Karla?" He asked, acting confused.

"I know what you're doing to the boys that like me." She said. Fíli turned to look at her and moved to stand in front of her.

"It's not that they like you. It because of how they look at you. It's like you're a piece of prime venison or bear. It's sickening to me. To see them view you as a prize to be had, you're not like that, Karla. And I won't let them think they can have you. They have to get past me and Kíli and even Uncle Thorin first." Fíli told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't forget your mother." Karla reminded him.

"No, Mother won't let them within ten leagues of you if she saw how they looked at you. They don't like it when Kíli helps your stance. I think it's because he moves your legs apart or closer together with his own and rests his hands on your shoulders, telling you to relax. I know what he says." Fíli said to Karla's surprised face.

"Do you know why I do not talk as much as I used to?" Karla said, in fact this the most she had spoken since she had argued with Dis that morning.

"No. Though I have a suspicion, please enlighten me." Fíli said and followed Karla to sit next to her on the ground outside the stables that stood next to the armoury.

"I did not know my parents, this you know. I used to like to believe that I was loved equally by Dis and Thorin as if I were their very own. But I know that it's not true. My parents loved me as their own though neither knew me. Dis and Thorin have done wonderfully raising me to be almost as good as both you and Kíli, but I am not the daughter that either might have wanted. I'm not your sister and I'll never be Thorin's. I don't feel the need to call him Uncle as much or even let him hear me speak. I am nothing to him." Karla said softly hugging her knees to her chest.

"Nonsense! He loves you like his own! As he does Kíli and I. The three of us we are the only children he had ever known, aside from our friends, but we are family. He loves us as if we are his own sons and you his daughter." Fíli said putting an arm around Karla.

"Hands off the Princess," A voice said and the pair looked up sharply Radir, a dwarf from the training ground stood his sword pointed at Fíli's chest. The sword was blunt of course but it would still hurt. But another voice stopped Karla and Fíli from saying anything.

"Is it a crime for Cousin's to comfort each other now?" The deep rumble that was Uncle Thorin made both Fíli and Karla relax visibly. Radir lowered his sword and turned slowly.

"Put your toy away Radir and go home." Thorin said indicating with his hand, his sword sheathed. His voice was enough to scare the younger dwarves. They dare not disobey Thorin Oakenshield. Fíli helped Karla to her feet and Thorin looked over the two children.

"We are well, Uncle. He merely gave Karla a scare." Fíli said seeing the colour start to reappear in his Cousin's face. But before Fíli could hug her, Thorin pulled her to his chest and held her as she allowed her heart to slow back down and Thorin's warmth to warm her through.

"I'll never let any of you get hurt." He whispered, "Not Kíli, Fíli or you. You most of all. You are too precious to me." Thorin gifted Karla with a rare kiss to the top of her head and then sent them both home again.

* * *

Karla stood with her hand on her hips with a glare that rivalled even Dis'. Thorin didn't flinch; he was used to that look by now.

"Why can't I go with you?" Karla asked fiercely.

"Because it's too dangerous. You're too young." Thorin told her calmly.

"I am five DAYS younger than Kíli! Kíli and Fíli are five YEARS apart! Why isn't Kíli too young?" Karla had a valid point there, but Thorin turned to look at her, he could see the tears threatening to spill.

"Kíli is the best archer in Ered Luin and the only one I'm taking with me. I'll take an archer with me who is also fairly skilled with a sword. It is too dangerous for you." Thorin explained patiently, as though he'd already been through this argument. And he probably had knowing her cousins.

"Again – why isn't Kíli too young to go?" Karla persisted. She wasn't about to give up this argument without a fight.

"He's my best archer." Thorin said again. He had no need for two archers.

"But he's not too young?" She asked.

"No." The King answered.

He jumped when Karla took aim, "THEN WHY AM I?"

"DON'T YOU RAISE YOUR VOICE TO ME!" He thundered.

"WHY NOT? YOU'RE NOT MY FATHER! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT!" The slap was heard before it was felt. Karla realized she was on the floor when Kíli was kneeling down next to her lifting her to her feet and taking her out of Thorin's room to sit her down and talk to her. He took her back to her own room.

"Karla if I was given the choice I'd take you with us. You deserve this was much as the rest of us. He's just worried about you, that is all. He's worried about Fíli and I also. I know you're a fine archer. And I look forward to the day when you and I can kill Orcs side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder." He said wiping her tears away with his thumb. Karla gave a soft wet laugh.

"I know Cousin. I just wish that he wouldn't at as though I am so delicate. You know I'd rather fight then sit at home and wait for you to come back." Kíli nodded, he understood, he knew how she felt. Kíli had almost been overlooked as well, but Fíli had argued that Kíli was a fine archer and should have this chance. Karla knew what she was going to do though. If she couldn't go under Uncle's authority she'd go under her own.

"I'll miss you Kíli." She whispered kissing Kíli's forehead, he returned the gesture.

"I don't know what you're planning. But don't be stupid. I'll miss you too." He said, before getting up and returning to his room to finish with his pack before their departure in the coming dawn.

* * *

**Mirkwood**

They'd escaped the Elves relatively unscathed. It still amazed Thorin how Bilbo had done it. He may not be a burglar but he had the smarts to help them out of many tight scraps, the Trolls only being the first. Now they stood only a few hundred yards from the tree line. Kíli had the feeling they were being watched but it wasn't until a figure landed in front of them, causing Thorin, Balin and Fíli all to draw swords and point them at them, that Kíli knew he'd been right. The figure froze in their crouched position on the forest floor. They remained in a form of bow.

"My apologies, Majesty." A female voice said, "I mean you and your company no harm." Kíli thought he knew that voice, but couldn't put a name to it, he knew he hadn't heard it in months.

"Your name, Elf." Thorin growled. It wouldn't take a sleep deprived Thorin to get angry. Kíli hoped the intruder was helpful at least.

The figured laughed shortly, "I am no elf." She stood and indeed with her head down so the company could not see her face she was no elf, she was a dwarf no doubt. As tall as Kíli and slender, though it was hard to tell with no beard.

"Your name," Thorin growled. The female refused until Dwalin took a step forward forcing her head up and pulled back her hood. Stunned Thorin and Fíli's swords dropped to their sides as if suddenly made of iron.

"Karla?" Fíli whispered staring at his cousin as if she were a ghost. Long golden hair was up behind her head, her dark eyes stared at them in defiance and her pale skin glowed in the depleting gloom of the forest.

"Didn't I tell you to stay at home?" Thorin snarled.

"Yes you did. But I told you then and I'll tell you again, _Uncle_, that you are not my father and you will never be!" Karla snapped. She was a livewire; she'd met several of the dwarves in the party so she was comfortable with near insulting Thorin in front of them.

* * *

Bilbo watched Karla as she sat wrapping a bandage around a wound on Fíli's arm, the older dwarf had not spoken to her all day, only Kíli and Balin spoke to her. The others either didn't get the chance or ignored her. He saw that it hurt that once she was done; Fíli got up and returned to where he'd been sitting with Dwalin and Bifur.

"Don't worry, My Lady." Bilbo said quietly, he sat next to her but there was a respectable space between them, "I'm sure they will be back to their selves in no time."

"My family loves me, Master Hobbit. I know they do, they are worried I will slow them down or jeopardise the quest. Yet Kíli and Balin know that I will be an asset to them. My Uncle and cousin just have to see that." Karla said with a smile, while her eyes scanned his body for any injuries. Spotting none she started to put away the bandages and salve she'd packed in her bag for her own journey. Obviously she had some skills besides archery and tree climbing.

"What of your parents? Did they not want you to join the journey either?" Bilbo asked, Kara visibly stiffened

"Both my parents are dead Master Baggins. My father days before I was born and my mother while delivering me. My Aunt took me in and I have grown up with my cousins." Karla said indicating in the vague area where Kíli and Fíli were now talking animatedly.

"I don't care if you don't want her here, Fíli!" Kíli suddenly yelled making all the dwarves jump, "She's here now and hasn't she just patched your arm? She's as good at healing as Óin is! What if he's injured or dying? She had just as much skill and we can't send her home! Uncle and I asked her to stay and still she followed!" Kíli said. Fíli scoffed.

"She doesn't belong here!" He retorted.

"You can't make me go home." Karla said calmly breaking the argument.

"Yes I can." Fíli said.

"No you can't. You are neither my brother nor my father. You cannot tell me what I can and can't do. I'm not 16 anymore." Karla said.

"No. You're right. But you are still younger than I am." Fíli reminded her.

"That does not make it your right or Uncle's to tell me what to do." Karla got up making her way towards her cousins.

"Uncle is you King." Fíli pointed out, Karla shook her head.

"Thorin Oakenshield is my Uncle first, meaning unless he is speaking to me as my King – which I do not see until there is a crown on that thick head of his, I will not respect him as such." Silence fell, harsh stony silence. The Dwarves around the fire, along with Fíli and Kíli stared at her, had she just said that? Thorin stood on the far side of the campsite, his face wasn't as hard as it usually was. Karla had spoken the truth. He wasn't a King until he had the crown. Until then he was just 'Uncle'.

"You don't respect your King?" Fíli whispered.

"I don't know who my King is! Not until Uncle has that crown will he be my King!" Karla snapped at Fíli. Karla turned to walk away but Fíli gripped her wrist.

"Respect is given." Fíli hissed.

"Respect is earned. And until Uncle earns my Respect I will continue to be who I am. Now if you don't mind I'd appreciate you releasing me." Fíli's grip tightened, "Fíli…Fíli you're hurting me!" Karla tugged on her arm until with a sickening crack Fíli let go. Karla fell backwards with the force of her pull and the sudden loss of resistance. As she landed the pain shot through her arm.

"An archer isn't much use with a broken arm." Fíli said – something had happened to him. What happened to the cousin who had sat next to her after training and hugged her telling her Uncle loved her like his own?

"Fíli!" Kíli couldn't say anything else. He helped Karla back to the log she'd been sitting on and on her instruction wrapped her arm so it was immobilized and straight so it would set properly.

"I don't know what's wrong with him. Usually he'd be happy to see you." Kíli said after he tied off the bandage.

"I'm not sure he's ready to accept that he can't control me anymore. I'm not sure what it is I've done wrong." Karla said with a shrug.

"Don't say that. You haven't done anything wrong, Karla." Kíli said kneeling in front of her, he looked up into her eyes, "you haven't done anything wrong. You are a fine archer and a skilled healer. And I'm sure you'll make a fine and just Princess." Kíli said holding her hands in his. If Bilbo hadn't known better he'd have thought them lovers. Kíli leant up and placed a gently kiss on her forehead and told her it'd be fine, that he'd always love her and nothing would change it.

* * *

It didn't take long for Fíli to see the error of his ways. She may have been almost useless as an archer with her broken arm but he hadn't broken her shooting arm. She could hold the bow body with her broken arm and draw back with the other. She was still able to use her bow, just made climbing trees a little more difficult. She would swing up into them using her good arm and perch watching, notching an arrow silently to her bow, ignoring the scoff of her oldest cousin. She was instrumental in saving their lives countless times.

But Fíli still remained indifferent.

Until one day when he was almost killed. Wargs had set upon them and Fíli was pinned beneath one and Kíli was busy with his own battle, Karla spotted the warg on her cousin and let fly with arrows until it lay still. Fíli waited a moment before pushing the animal off of himself and getting back to his feet, he didn't say anything until that night as she wrapped some of the injuries and made sure any pains were just pains, she did have to pop Ori's shoulder back into place after it was dislocated. Poor kid. He was barely older than Fíli and tears sprang to his eyes when she popped it back in.

"Sorry, I know it hurts. But it'll be better tomorrow ok?" The young Dwarf nodded and moved to sit with his brothers. Fíli wanted to apologise but he found it far too hard to. He gave her a soft smile though and for now that would be enough.

* * *

**After The Battle of Five Armies**

"My Lady!" Karla turned from washing her hands, she was helping tend to the wounded, "Your Uncle has awoken he is asking for you." Karla followed the dwarf towards the tent where her Uncle lay. His injuries were severe and many had already said he wouldn't make it.

"Uncle?" Karla whispered falling to her knees beside him.

"Karla…I am sorry." He whispered opening his eyes slowly.

"What for, Uncle, you have done no wrong." Karla said.

"I failed you." He said, his voice was becoming raspy.

"No, never. You reclaimed your kingdom. You've done everything right." Karla told him, hoping to talk to him just a while longer.

Thorin's hand came up to rest on her cheek, "You'll be my little girl."

"Always." She replied clutching his hand with her own.

"Always…promise me…" He faltered and Karla thought best to prompt him.

"Anything Uncle! Anything!" She said.

"Look after…the…lads." Karla need not ask of who he meant. Kíli and Fíli.

"Always Uncle, always." She said.

"My little girl…" He whispered.

"Always and forever." She whispered kissing his palm, then she felt him let out a breath and his arm became heavy in hers. She closed her eyes against the tears and kissed his palm once more before placing it over his chest and breaking into tears.

"Princess?" She turned at the voice, young Gimli stood at the opening of the tent.

"Gimli?" She asked brushing away the tears.

"Your Cousins are asking for you." He said, he was too young to see death like this.

"Thank-you Gimli." She got up slowly and followed him, when she entered the tent her cousins were in she smiled when she saw them.

"Cousins. You astound me sometimes." Kíli and Fíli had asked to have their beds pressed close together. They held the other's hand tightly and both grinned when they saw her.

"Cousin! What news of Uncle?" Fíli asked. Karla stiffened and he noticed.

"Uncle's wounds were too severe." She said, "I'm sorry." She knelt down between their beds and let them grasp her hands as all three mourned their Uncle.

"He told me I was his little girl." Karla said later as she rested against Fíli's bed.

"You always were his little girl."

"Yes, but I never truly his was I?"

"Do you forget what I told you that day after training? He loves you like his own. He loved us like we were his sons and daughter. Never forget that. He will always love us like that. And he always did." Fíli said with a smile.

He kissed her head before he spoke again, "and from now on – you'll be my little girl too." Karla, Kíli and Fíli's laughter filled the tent as they easily took the responsibility to be the leaders their people needed now. But they would still remember the deep rumble they'd hear from the maid room that meant Uncle Thorin was home and would tell them a story as they sat by the fire as Mother washed the dishes. Never truly his but loved like one of his own.

* * *

_Please review! You got this far right?_


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